In a statement this week, the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Company Ltd. said a bid to renews its lease with the Niagara Parks Commission has been rejected by the Ontario government.

“As a result of this decision, our business…may soon come to an end,” company president Christopher Glynn said in the statement.

Mr. Glynn said it’s not known whether a boat tour service will be offered this year.

“We are carefully assessing our position and will be consulting with other affected parties as we attempt to address the many serious issues resulting from this decision.”

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Local historians had earlier called the prospect of the ships’ departure from the world’s most voluminous waterfall a “sad loss.” “Everyone has heard of it, no matter where they’re from,” said said Sherman Zavitz, city historian for Niagara Falls, Ont. “It’s certainly the most famous business name [in Niagara Falls]. It’s very much involved with the city and how the city is seen by others.

Eight ships have carried the name “Maid of the Mist;” the tours have featured in many moments from Niagara lore, Mr. Zavitz says, including an 1859 outing from the Great Blondin, a tightrope walker.

“He was a really outstanding performer, an innovative showman. For one of his stunts, he went out on the rope [above the falls], and he had a little stove with him,” Mr. Zavitz said. “Right around the middle of the rope, he sat down and he used his little stove to cook a couple of omelettes. He ate part of the omelette, and then he lowered down the rest of it to passengers on the Maid of the Mist, which was directly below him.”

The bidding process to renew the Maid’s lease came following complaints from Niagara Falls businesspeople and former Ontario Parks Commissioner Bob Gale after the Niagara Parks Commission quietly awarded an untendered 25-year lease to the Maid of the Mist Steamboat Co. in 2008. A Request for Proposal was issued by the parks commission in August, 2010, with the intent of having the process settled by the end of 2011.

“The name is a local icon, but the falls are the important part,” Mr. Zavitz said. “It’s an important landmark and tourist attraction, so we need to make sure someone is running the boats.”

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